Disclaimer: The contents of these manuals should not be relied on as legal advice. Also, some of this information could become outdated, and laws vary from place-to-place. Furthermore, although we tried to collect accurate information and give laws our best interpretation, some information in these booklets could even turn out to be incorrect or subject to other interpretations by courts or regulators! We sure hope that's not the case, but what can we say? Law is complicated stuff! That's why we strongly recommend that you consult an attorney before using this information to form or operate a cooperative!
Online Legal Guides |
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Grassroots Financing Guide for California Farmers By Christina Oatfield | September 2017 |
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Legal Guide to Cooperative Conversions: A Business Owner's Legal Guide to Cooperative Conversion Including Conversion Models, Case Studies, and Sample Documents By Janelle Orsi, William Lisa, and Sushil Jacob |
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Think Outside The Boss: How to Create a Worker-Owned Business By East Bay Community Law Center, Green Collar Communities Clinic, Sustainable Economies Law Center | Seventh edition. Revised April 2016 |
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Legal Eats: Legal Resources for Food Justice Enterprises By Local Economies and Entrepreneurship Project, East Bay Community Law Center, Green Collar Communities Clinic, Sustainable Economies Law Center | Revised March 2016 |
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El Proceso Legal Para Iniciar Tu Negocio Cooperativa: Una Guia para todos tipos de negocios Creado por: East Bay Community Law Center, Green Collar Communities Clinic, Sustainable Economies Law Center ¿Qué son las cooperativas de trabajadores? Las cooperativas de trabajadores son entidades de negocio que están (1) en posesión de los trabajadores, (2) gobernadas por los trabajadores, y (3) operadas por y para el beneficio de los trabajadores. Puesto que las cooperativas son propiedad y están controladas por y para los empleados que trabajan allá, son operadas diferentemente de las empresas tradicionales en unos aspectos clave. |
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Legal Guide for Board of Directors of Worker Self Directed Nonprofits By Sustainable Economies Law Center |
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Public Feedback Forums
The Worker Cooperative Policy Coalition held two public feedback forums to solicit feedback on the proposed provisions of the worker cooperative policy that will be (hopefully) going to the California legislature in February 2014. Below are the notes of the feedback forums, one held on December 2nd at the Sudo Room in Oakland and the other held on December 7th in San Francisco at the Main Public Library.
Read moreWorker Cooperative Policy Recommendation
The Sustainable Economies Law Center is proud to be a member of the California Worker Cooperative Policy Coalition and excited about paving new paths to increase democratic worker ownership in California.
UPDATE: Our coalition was successful in finding a legislative author and this policy recommendation has become a full out legislative campaign! Find out more by visiting SELC's Cooperatives Advocacy page.
Below, you will find links to a feedback form so you can provide input on how to define a worker cooperative in California, more information on the statute that the coalition has been working on, and updates on our progress.
CA Worker Coop Updates
Find updates on the progress of our legislation and public feedback.
CA Worker Cooperative Feedback Public Forum
Two public feedback forums were held, one in San Francisco and one in Oakland, for community members to provide feedback, identify issues of concern, and continue the discussion about the worker cooperative policy.
Check back for more public forums on the California Worker Cooperative Policy initiative to be held at SELC's Resilient Communities Legal Cafes throughout 2014.
CA Worker Cooperative Feedback Form
Having trouble viewing the feedback form below? Click here.
Faces of the Bay Area Cooperatives Movement
At our recent Think Outside The Boss Workshop in Berkeley, we asked participants to tell us what co-ops meant to them. Check out the slideshow above to see the diversity of faces and answers we received.
Cooperatives aren't some utopian, hair-brained, hippie scheme. They support an incredibly diverse range of people from all over our communities, from families (did you see the baby above?) to young entrepreneurs to faith-based communities to immigrants.
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